a Clear Politics article

by Victor Davis Hanson 

Barack Obama and John McCain are running neck and neck.

Impossible?

It would seem so. Republican President Bush still has less than a 30 percent approval rating. Headlines blare that unemployment and inflation are up -- even if we aren't, technically, in a recession. Gas is around $4 a gallon. Housing prices have nosedived. Sen. Ted Stevens, R-Alaska, has been indicted -- another in a line of congressional Republicans caught in financial or sexual scandal. Meanwhile, the GOP's presumptive candidate, John McCain, is 71 years old. The Republican base thinks he's lackluster and too liberal.

So, everyone is puzzled why the Democratic candidate isn't at least 10 points ahead.

read more here www.uniteddems.com

Would love some feedback on this!

Tell your Senators to support renewable energy development by cutting oil industry handouts!

Recently the House passed the Renewable Energy and Energy Conservation Tax Act. This bill is a great first step towards improving our environment, creating clean energy jobs and gaining energy independence.

This would be done by cutting government subsidies to the oil and gas industry and shifting them to renewable energy development. The oil and gas industry will get by -- ExxonMobil recently reported the largest quarterly profit for any corporation in American history.

These corporate giants are not in need of any more government handouts. This bill would allow renewable sources such as solar and wind power to get the funding they need and incentives would also be provided for plug-in hybrid electric vehicles that would help clean up pollution in our transportation sector.

Please tell your Senators that this bill needs to be passed. Our environment is too important to be ignored.

GO HERE FOR AN EASY TO COMPLETE FORM:
http://action.citizen.org/t/1153/campaign.jsp?campaign_KEY=23335&track=actionMain

 ALSO GO HERE FOR MORE DETAIL ON THIS BILL

http://www.opencongress.org/bill/110-h5351/show

Odd world isn't it?  Oil prices went through the roof in large part so speedily because speculators, gambling freaks that they are, were banking on the scacity factor driving up the price of oil.

But now, just three weeks since Al Gore on July 17, 2008 threw out the challenge that we eliminate our dependence on oil in 10 years, what has happened? The speculators are deserting oil like rats from a sinking ship. Some of them, like T. Boone Pickens didn't waste any time.  Within the week of Gore's announcement we began to see those ads of Pickens with the wind turbines in the background.  LOL

As a result, oil is no longer the belle of the ball.  Oil prices continue to fall.

THANK YOU AL!  ONLY YOU COULD HAVE DONE IT SO WELL.  You are not perfect by a long shot [I won't go into that detail here.], but in this effort you are. ((fist bump ))

I heard some economist on PBS this morning saying that the speculators were now putting all their money into the alternative energy market.  This is good, as long as the control of energy remains with the people and not profiteers.

We need to remember some of the lessons that we have learned from allowing private interests to control natural resources--whether it is fossil fuel or solar and wind.

Not all things should be under the thumb of government and its people, but a few things should:

1. Security   2. Energy    3. Money     4. healthcare

Argentina’s flagship airline carrier- Aerolineas Argentinas is one more example of why privatization of state industries is not the cure-all that conservatives promote it to be.  Argentina sold Aerolineas to Spanish flag carrier Iberia in 1991. Marsans took over in 2001.  Under then-president Carlos Menem in 1991, mass privatization of state industries was the way to go.

Under private control, the airline continued to sink.  Today it is mired in debt and half of its planes are grounded.  Today, the government of Argentina is negotiating to purchase the airlines back.

There are many reasons to explain the failure of privatization.  One of the most outstanding reasons is that sometimes the purchase of a state owned industry is purely for the purpose of eliminating the competition.  Often, among the first things that a corporation does with they acquire another company is to sell off as many of its assets as possible—this includes mass layoffs of the acquired company’s employees. 

We all have a profound effect upon each other. And this effect is felt in cyber space as well as in the three dimensional world. It is amazing the profound effect that even a few words spoken to a stranger can have to that person. I was reminded of that yesterday.

I was in a curmudgeonesque mode because I had just bought groceries and was wheeling them back to my car in 104 degree heat when a complete stranger said to me "you have the most beautiful hair". I thanked her.

Inside I reminded myself of that Seuss drawing of the Grinch the moment his heart expanded. (Not that having "lovely hair" is such a big deal--I only get hair cuts once every three months and wash it inbetween) but that woman's offhand compliment put me in touch with all the things I had to be thankful for and I finished my day in a state of gratitude.

here is a link to the Random Acts of Kindness foundation.  I didn't even know there was one until this morning.

http://www.actsofkindness.org/

afrol News  - Tanzanians have gained the opportunity to prospect and develop mining industry rather than sit back and watch international companies bring expatriate project teams. This was made possible by recent deal [July 2008]  signed by Douglas Lake Minerals Inc and Tanzanian Mineral Exploration (TANZMINEX), which gives local company immediate take over on all project management responsibilities of Mbwemkuru project working closely with the company’s technical team. . . .”

Thanks to the heads up from Shopman, I'm listening to the governor of Minnesota speaking before the press club in DC.  He is articulate and more important, his ideas are modern, fresh and engaging--unlike any Republican leader that I have listened to this entire season.

Among other things, Pawlenty says that the the Republicans must lure Sam's Club Republicans.  "We need to be the party of Sam's club as well as the country club" is his battle cry.  I'm sure we will be hearing more of it.

I would not be surprised if he is the nominee.

Go here to learn more about him:

http://wcco.com/local/pawlenty.sam.club.2.788239.html

I read a WONDERFUL story in the Jarkata Post this morning that gave me great hope.  I'll share it with you.  Perhaps we should send it to our elected officials in DC.  Perhaps they could learn a lesson regarding holding corporate America, its CEO's and shareholders responsible for what they have done and continue to do:

Jarkarta Post -

GOVERNMENT IMPOSES TRAVEL BANS FOR UNPAID DEBTS - Andreas D. Arditya - Tycoon Edwin Soeyadjaya and 13 senior executives  and commissioners of mining companies have been banned from leaving the country for failing to pay their coal royalty debts, the government announced.

“The travel ban is effective until January 2009 at the request of the Finance Ministry,” said Syaiful Rachman, investigations director at the directorate general of immigration at the justice and Human Rights Ministry.

Edwin is the president commissioner of Adaro Energy.  The 13 others are directors or commissioners of coal companies including PT Kaltim Prima Coal (KPC) president commissioner Rathod Nalinkant Amratlal and four senior KPC executives.

Adaro  Energy’s debts to the state amount to RP (Rupia) 144.8 billion (US $15.9 million and $93.5 million.  KPC owes the state $127.1 million.

Please see following: 

 Subj: FW: Voting Rights
From: Heather Smith, Rock the VoteDear Rock the Vote staff,I was outraged when I found out the other day that the Department of Veterans Affairs has forbidden voter registration drives in its hospitals, rehab centers and other facilities. 

This ban hurts thousands of young veterans who have been injured while fighting in Iraq and Afghanistan. We should be helping our veterans register and vote, not making it more difficult. 

  Last week, the Senate introduced a bill to overturn the ban and allow states to require V.A. hospitals to offer voter registration to their clients.

Will you join me and ask your Senator to co-sponsor the “Veteran Voting Support Act”? 

http://action.rockthevote.com/site/Advocacy?pagename=homepage&id=107

Banning the most basic act of democracy from Americans who have fought for our democracy just doesn’t make any sense.  We need to stand up for our veterans--especially for the thousands of young veterans who are eligible to vote in their first presidential election. 

 Please contact your senators today.

  Sincerely,

Heather Smith

Energy Independence from fossil based fuels in 10 years is entirely  possible, but not without assistance from millions of Americans like you and me.  I just visited Al's site this morning and came away with these suggestions of what you and I can do right now to build momentum toward the achievement of this goal:

Demand renewable energy from your local power company. Start by doing the following:

 Give them a call. Call or email your power company's customer service department and ask for more renewable power. Click here for contact information for the 25 largest power companies in the U.S. -- we made it easy for you!

Add it to your bill. Slip this form into your next bill and make it clear you expect your power company to include more renewable energy!

Talk with others. Join the We Group "We Want Clean Power Companies" Get your neighbors involved.

Create a We Group or Facebook group to organize other customers in your community. For more organizing resources, click here. 

 And with such an economic mess that we are in today, with so much of it directly traceable to a Republican congress that ruled and bullied from 1995 until 2007 and their cowboy president who has ruled for the past almost 8 years, will there still be Americans making less than $200.000 a year who will vote for a Republican?

REUTERS:  HUNDREDS OF BANKS WILL FAIL
NEW YORK, Aug 3 (Reuters) - The United States is in the second inning of a recession that will last for at least 18 months and help kill off hundreds of banks, influential economist and New York University Professor Nouriel Roubini told Barron's in Sunday's edition.

Taxpayers will pay a big price for helping bail out the rest of the financial services industry as well, Roubini said -- at least $1 trillion and more likely $2 trillion.

http://www.reuters.com/article/bondsNews/idUSN0344130720080803?sp=true

Comcast has raked in $3.3 billion this year. Help us raise $30,000 to keep the pressure on.

Support the
Free Press Action Fund

I want to be very clear. Last week’s historic FCC decision to punish Comcast for violating Net Neutrality only happened because you and millions of others got involved and kept the pressure on the Beltway bureaucrats.

But our work is far from over.

Comcast and other cable giants are not taking this lying down. They are releasing their hounds -- lo